BLUE CANOE RECORDS
  • Home
  • Radio
  • News
  • ARTISTS
    • See All Artists
    • Artist Of The Month
  • Releases
    • See All Releases
    • Song Of The Day
    • Album Of The Week
  • Store
  • BCR
    • About
    • Contact
    • Japanese Division
    • Licensing
  • Social
    • Playlists
    • TV

Long story short

10/21/2021

Comments

 
Drum extraordinaire and composer Sinclair Lott delivers a thoughtful straight-ahead jazz album with a modern twist. Featuring Bob Sheppard (saxophones), Tigran Hamasyan (piano), Danny McKay (bass), and Sinclair Lott (drums).

This ten song album titled, "Long Story Short" features seven original compositions and three cover tunes by Dizzy Gillespie, Dave Brubeck and Ornette Coleman.
​
Fans of traditional jazz will enjoy listening to Sinclair's Story of music with this uplifting collection of compositions and performances.
Comments

The Emotional Vampire Sessions with EJ Hughes

2/22/2019

Comments

 
EJ Hughes is back in the light with his riveting Blue Canoe Records release "The Emotional Vampire Sessions" a followup to his 2005 release on Blue Canoe "Something to Say". The Saxophonist has traveled extensively performing in many genres with a passion and deep-rooted training in Jazz, Classical, and Contemporary music.
EJ Hughes The Emotional Vampire Sesions
Mr. Hughes has taught, performed, and recorded in New York, Georgia, Florida, New Hampshire, and Singapore as well as extensive cruise ship work traveling to over 20 countries. He has spent much of his life as an educator working with students from elementary school to high school to college and beyond. Mr. Hughes is a current instructor at Music and Arts and has helped Georgia State University’s RYJO high school jazz program. In the past, EJ was the instructor of jazz saxophone for Emory University and also taught Advanced Improvisation and Jazz applied saxophone for Georgia State University before returning to his hometown in New Hampshire to be the band director and general music instructor. Hughes has performed with the likes of Grammy award winner Joe Lovano, Grammy-nominated Sam Rivers and two time Grammy winning hip-hop collective Speech & Arrested Development. Says Sam Rivers, "EJ Hughes is a talented musician who understands the beauties and intricacies of the music, an artist destined to make a valuable contribution to this art form".

"The Emotional Vampire Sessions" (recorded and mixed by John Marshden) leads off with ghosts rather than Vampires with "Ghosts in the Machine". Kevin Bales (Wynton Marsalis, Sam Rivers, and Nat Adderley, Rene Marie) breaks the silence emphatically with the thematic piano groove and makes way for Mr. Hughes’s soaring saxophone and energetic melody. Hughes bounces around the theme with improvisational licks that are familiar yet unique. As drummer Marlon Patton (John Patitucci, Randy Brecker, Rufus Reid, Wycliffe Gordon) pulls and pushes playfully with the rhythm, Mr. Bales takes the helm mid-way through and shows improvisationally mature lead playing that slides away to a Billy Thornton (Dominick Farinacci, Christian Tamburr, Doug Carn) bass solo that continues to intertwine with Mr. Bales injections as the song builds and fades.
The album's title track opens with a sweet, touching piano intro that points the listener to an emotional ballad that one imagines an old crooner from the early 1950s will join. Just as the audience is ready for this sultry voice, Mr. Patton enters with a strong snare lead that explodes into rock-like keyboard interplay. Eventually, Mr. Hughes comes in and exploits the solid foundation that has been laid and the improvisational exploration is awe-inspiring. The vampires are emotional, indeed!
"The Emotional Vampire Sessions" by Atlanta sax-master EJ Hughes is a stunning sophomore release that brings something unique with each listen. The veteran players bring fresh and extraordinary perspective to these modern, straight-ahead jazz expressions. This release is not to be missed.
Comments

Solid As An Oak

3/6/2015

Comments

 
Trey Wright
Blue Canoe Records latest release from Trey Wright is a ripping set of originals that moves from solid, classic jazz to sweet, sympathetic ballads with ease. The compositions on Songs From Oak Avenue deserve notice as does the playing of this group of veterans.

Songs from Oak Avenue is Mr. Wright’s second solo release on Blue Canoe Records and his follow-up to Thinking Out Loud (2009). This release is comprised of brilliant melodies and creative interaction with the sparse instrumentation. Each player, including Atlanta-based Grammy Award-winning saxophonist Mace Hibbard and expert rhythm section Marc Miller (bass) and Marlon Patton (drums/engineer), is given ample space to express ideas freely and dynamically…and all do so with mindful abandon. Mr. Wright is a jazz guitarist, composer and recording artist based in Roswell, GA. He is the co-founder of the Athens/Atlanta based jam band Squat. The group is a six-time winner of Best Jazz Band at the Flagpole Athens Music Awards and has been a featured artist at the Atlanta Jazz Festival, Bel Chere, The Twilight Athens Jazz Festival, The Cherry Blossom Festival, Harvest Midtown and Athfest. Several of Mr. Wright’s compositions with the group have received international airplay and have been featured on Sirius/XM radio and NPR’s All Things Considered.

Songs From Oak Avenue
Mr. Wright also performs freelance in the Athens and Atlanta area and has performed with Jimmy Haslip (Yellowjackets), John Patitucci, Joe Lovano, Corey Christiansen and Darmon Meader of the New York Voices. He has performed at the Montreux Jazz Festival, Jazz A Vienne and the World Sacred Music Festival in Bangalore, India. As a solo guitarist and with his trio, Mr. Wright has been a featured performer at the Athens Music and Arts Festival, The Lake Oconee Jazz Festival and the Atlanta Jazz Festival.  Additionally, Mr. Wright is the guitar instructor at Kennesaw State University based in Kennesaw, GA.

Songs From Oak Avenue opens powerfully with “Boomerang”. Sam Skelton’s lush, industrious saxophone swings against Marc Miller’s walking bass pulse while Wright injects color in support of the melody. As the track unfolds, Mr. Skelton’s easily accessible melody expands to more challenging improvisational licks until finally giving way to a soaring electric solo from Trey Wright. The track ends in back and forth between the two that alternates between conversational style and a doubling of melody that ends the track as a warm invitation for the rest of Songs From Oak Avenue.

“Joni” is another distinguished track that highlights the talents of Trey Wright. “It is named and inspired by Joni Mitchell”, says Wright. “I have always been fascinated with her music…I was trying to emulate the floating feel and stream of consciousness approach of her music.” It opens with a subdued melody and tastefully chosen introduction to the inspirational talents of Grammy winner Mace Hibbard
 on the sax. The middle of this more contemporary tune this talented group is firing on all cylinders with all fully engaged and pushing each other forward against a rhythm section that delivers with forceful musicality.

Songs From Oak Avenue is a thoughtful, distinct offering put together by a group of veteran players that bring the right vibe at the right time. It is tastefully improvised and spacious while simultaneously thick and substantive. Trey Wright and his team are a group to be watched and Songs From Oak Avenue is an album to be heard…again and again.

Comments

No Small Thing Is A Big Deal

11/8/2014

Comments

 
J-Mood
Blue Canoe Records latest release from J-Mood slashes across genres from pop to rock to heartwarming contemporary jazz and deliver rich, mood lifting melody to every listener.

“No Small Thing” is the second release on Blue Canoe Records and is a captivating compilation of covers and intelligent, home-grown numbers that expose the brilliance of the Carrozza clan.  Mrs. Jennifer 
Carrozza is classically trained and has been singing professionally for nearly 20 years. Keyboard/Producer/Engineer/Solo Artist John Carrozza has featured parts on the platinum selling Boyz II Men album “Evolution” and has worked with Grammy winning jazz superstar Earl Klugh.  
“No Small Thing” opens with the classic in the pop rock world, Aqualung’s Brighter Then Sunshine.  “…suddenly you’re mine”, sings Jennifer Carrozza as the listener is drawn into the dynamic odyssey.  With the use of lush instrumentation, Mr. Carrozza sets up the voyage perfectly.  The Carrozza’s fall effortlessly into the McCartney standard Blackbird.  The Carrozza connection of piano and vocals is haunting and memorable…adding a novel take on the classic.  From there, J-Mood travels effortlessly from Sting to Neil Young to winning melodies of their own.  Of note, John Carrozza’s own Hope Restored composition is an emotional contemporary jazz number with energizing give-and-take between Sam Skelton’s genius sax and John Carrozza’s expressive piano stylings.
No Small Thing is a smart, diverse must-have that falls right into the spiritual hip pocket of the audience’s subconscious.  Classic and contemporary at the same time, The Carrozza team leave an important impression while using all the colors in the palette.  It is, indeed, No Small Thing.

Buy - Stream - Listen

Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture
Comments

International Jazz Stars Featured on a New Live Recording From Austin, Texas.

5/10/2011

Comments

 
Ron Westray and Thomas Heflin
Live From Austin, the latest album from trombonist Ron Westray and trumpeter Thomas Heflin. The album features internationally known artists such as Neal Caine, regular bassist with Harry Connick Jr., Eric Revis, featured bass player with the Branford Marsalis quartet, and drummer Adonis Rose, who toured extensively with Nicholas Payton. The group also features three of the top jazz musicians in Austin Texas: Elias Haslanger, Peter Stoltzman and David Sierra.

Heflin and Westray recorded the album in 2009 while living in Austin, TX. At the time Heflin was completing his doctorate in music and Westray was serving as professor of jazz at the University of Texas. The recording project was conceived as a way to capture the energy of live jazz in Austin, a city known as the “live music capital of the world.”  It felt appropriate to make the recording at the jazz club, The Elephant Room, which was selected as one of the top ten jazz venues in the United States by Wynton Marsalis in USA TODAY. The recording features all original compositions from the pens of Westray, Heflin and Austin jazz star Elias Haslanger.


Ron Westray is already one of the most highly regarded trombonists of his generation. In addition to serving as lead trombonist with Wynton Marsalis and the Lincoln Center Jazz Orchestra, he is known for his collaborative album with Wycliffe Gordon on the Atlantic label entitled Bone Structure. In past years, he also toured as a member of the Marcus Roberts Quintet and the Mingus Big Band, as well as performed with a roster of jazz notables too long to list. In 2008, Westray released Medical Cures for the Chromatic Commands of the Inner City. Ron is currently an  Associate Professor at York University (Toronto, CA) and also serves as the Oscar Peterson Chair in Jazz Performance.

Rising star Thomas Heflin has already gained a fan base internationally with his style and command of the trumpet. In 2005, he placed second in the Carmine Caruso International Jazz Trumpet Solo Competition in Seattle, Washington. Two years later, he released his debut album, Symmetry. Marco Maimeri's of Italy’s “Jazz Magazine,” described the CD as "… the extension of a charismatic leader with an innovative style, who has the heritage of Clifford Brown and Lee Morgan, but who does not forget the lessons of Freddie Hubbard…" In 2009, Heflin released his follow-up recording with the jazz collective “The New Five.” “Live from Austin” marks his third release on Blue Canoe Records. He currently lives in New York City where he works as the Program Manager of the Precollege Division at the Manhattan School of Music.


Comments

Heating Up The Winter Season

12/8/2008

Comments

 
J-Mood
J-Mood Jazz Band takes these holiday classics for a fresh spin through the winter snow.  These superstar musicians have a warm, inviting vibe that is irresistible.  The interplay between the piano sax and vocals is remarkable.  Note the opening track, "Jingle Bells".  This standard melody jumps to life as the conversation between Mr. John Carrozza's piano and Mrs. Jen Carrozza's vocals commences.  The listener is eventually carried away when guest saxophonist Sam Skelton chimes in with his smooth, rich solo response.

"Let It Snow" is the perfect follow-up to the up tempo rendition of "Jingle Bells".  One can feel the warm fire crackle as the mellow piano rolls in response to the call of the traditional melody.

Picture
"Welcome to Our World" warms the listener to the true meaning of Christmas.  "...perfect son of God, welcome to our world...", sings Mrs. Carrozza with her lullaby-sweet voice.  This is a truly touching version of this modern gospel testimony.

J-Mood takes us for a few more spins around the snow-laden sleigh track with "Sleigh Ride" and "I've Got My Love to Keep Me Warm".  You would never that J-Mood hails from the Southern USA with their enthrallment over cold winters.  Fortunately for the listener, these magnificent musicians have given us a glimpse into their chilly world...and have managed to heat things up in the process.



Comments

The Modern Jazz Stylings of Blue Canoe Records - Volume 1

9/16/2008

Comments

 
Picture
"Look What the Cats Drug In" opens with ripping guitar work from Dan Baraszu on "Neutron Star", a song inspired by Stevie Wonder's "Too High". There is no slowing down with the complex harmonies by Eugene Maslov on "Last Ray".  Blue Canoe's stable of talented artists is further exposed in "Symmetry 1" with the fluid, highly polished lines of virtuoso trumpeter Thomas Heflin. The album continues with unimaginable horn players Bryan Lopes and Ron Westray as well as the stellar compositional and orchestral arranging of the Knoxville Jazz Orchestra. The compilation brings it home rhythmically with percussionists Philip Smith and Jimmy "Junebug" Jackson. Listen for the famous Jimmy Smith on the B3 on the final tune by Junebug, "Save Your Love For Me (live)".

"Look What the Cats Drug In" is a vibrant exploration of the post-bop gems in Blue Canoe Records' vast and ever-growing catalog. Quite literally, "Look What the Cats Drug In" displays the finest musicianship of modern jazz.


Comments
<<Previous

    RSS Feed

    Categories

    All
    Acid Jazz
    Avant Garde
    Awards
    Bands
    Bass
    Bebop
    Big Band
    Brazilian Jazz
    Christmas | Holiday
    Classic Jazz
    Classic Soul
    Contemporary Jazz
    Cool Jazz
    Corporate News
    Crossover Jazz
    Drums
    Duo
    Easy Listening
    Electro Jazz
    Electronica
    Ethnic Jazz
    Funk
    Fusion
    Guitar
    Hip Hop
    Instrumental Rock
    Interview
    Jam Bands
    Jazz Pop
    Jazz Rock
    Latin Jazz
    Live
    Mainstream Jazz
    Memphis Soul
    New Age
    New Orleans
    Obituary
    Organ
    Pianists
    Post Bop
    Progressive Rock
    Quartet
    Quintet
    Rap
    Remix
    Sampler
    Saxophone
    Smooth Jazz
    Solo
    Soul Jazz
    Soundtrack
    Space Rock
    Store
    Traditional Jazz
    Trio
    Trombone
    Trumpet
    Vocals
    West Coast
    World Fusion

Blue Canoe Records on LinkedIn
Blue Canoe Records on Facebook
Blue Canoe Records on Twitter
Blue Canoe Records on Pinterest
Blue Canoe Records on YouTube
Blue Canoe Records on Instagram
HOME
RADIO
NEWS
ARTISTS
See A​ll Artists
Artist Of The Month
RELEASES
See All Releases
Song Of The Day
Album Of The Week
SOCIAL
Playlists
TV
STORE
BCR
About
Japanese Division
Licensing
Contact

Picture
© 2003-2023 Blue Canoe Records & Blue Canoe Digital LLC. 
Privacy Policy & Terms Of Use
​All Rights Reserved
  • Home
  • Radio
  • News
  • ARTISTS
    • See All Artists
    • Artist Of The Month
  • Releases
    • See All Releases
    • Song Of The Day
    • Album Of The Week
  • Store
  • BCR
    • About
    • Contact
    • Japanese Division
    • Licensing
  • Social
    • Playlists
    • TV